Machine for making stitchdown shoes



April 4, 1950 A. R. MoRRlLl.

MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 28, 1946 W. M a v M m April 4, 1950 A. R.; MORRILL MACHINE FOR MAKING sTrTcHnowN sHoEs 14 Sheets-Sheel'I 2 'Filed oct. 28. 1945 April 4, 1950 A. R. MoRRaLl.

MACHINE FOR MAKING sTr'rcHnowN sHoEs 14 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 28, 1946 5V HH? A rranwfr April 4, i950 A. R. MORRILL 2,502,629

MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed OG'G. 28, 1946 Apn'i 4, 1950 A. R. MORRILL MACHINE FOR MAKING sTTcHnowN sHoEs 14 Sheets-Shea?l 5 Filed OGL. 28, 1946 April 4, 1950 A. R. MoRRlLL.

MACHINE Foa MAKING sTTcHnowN sHoEs Filed 0G12. 28, 1946 14 Sheets-Sheet 6 API1-4, i950 A. R. MORRILI. 2,502,629

MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES Filed 005. 28, 1946 14 Sheets-Sheet 7 \O QQ @1 M/M if April 4, 1950 A. R. MoRRlLL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING sTxTcHnowN sHoEs 14 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Oct. 28, 1946 April 4, 1950 A. R. MoRRlLL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES Filed Oct. 28 1946 W w R W M m April 4, 1950 A. R. MoRRlLl. 2,502,629

MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES Filed 00T'. 28, 1946 14 Sheets-Sheet l0 Egg April 4, 1950 A. R. MORRILL MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES Filed OCT'. 28. 1946 April 4, 1950 A. R. MoRRlLL MACHINE FOR MAKING sTrTcHnowN sHoEs Filed 001;. 28, 1946 A14 Sheets-Sheet l2 14 Sheets-Sheet 13 A. R. MORRILL MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES Jaz April 4, 1950 A. R. MORRILL 2,502,629

MACHINE FOR MAKING sTlTcHnowN sHoEs Filed 0G15. 28, 1946 14 Sheets-Sheet 14 Patented pr.. 4, 1.956

UNITED STATES ATNT OFFICE MACHINE FOR MAKING STITCHDOWN SHOES Alfred R. Morrill, deceased, late of Woodstock,

Vt., by Ruth W. Morrill, adminstratrix, Woodstock, Vt., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 28, 1946, Serial No. 706,219

26 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements i in machines for lasting stitchdown shoes. As hereinafter shown and described the machine of the present invention is constructed to operate 2 Fig. 7 is a front View of the sewing head in the machine, partly broken away and shown in section, to illustrate the construction;

Fig. 8 is a front View taken in vertical section upon shoes of the type in which thread stitches of the upper portion of the sewing head;

are employed to draw an upper tightly over a Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view of the sewing last with its margin outturned and to secure it in head, taken along the line IX-IX of Fig. 6; lasted position. Fig. 10 is a similar view on a further enlarged An important object of the invention is to proscale of the sewing head, taken along the line vide a simple and compact machine which will l0 X-X of Fig. 6; operate more effectively than prior machines Fig. 11 is a side sectional view similar to that while drawing the upper of a stitchdown shoe of Fig. 6 but on an enlarged scale of the lower tightly over its supporting last and more securely portion of the sewing head and driving mecha- Within the angle between the side of the last and nism for the machine, partly broken away; an extension sole mounted on the last than has Fig. 12 is a side sectional View of the Supportbeen possible with previous use of similar maing column for the machine, looking from the chinos. Another object is to improve the conright; struction and arrangement of parts in a sewing Fig. 13 is a horizontal section of the supportmachine which are particularly useiulin threading Column aS Viewed along the line Xin-XIII lasting the outturned upper of a stitchdown shoe of Fig. 12; to an extension sole, but which also are capable Fig. 14 is another similar section as viewed more generally of advantageous use in forming along the line XIV-XIV of Fig. 12; seams in other types of work. A further object Fig. 15 iS a Seetiohal detail View, OD an e1- of the invention is to enable the use of an espelarged Seale, looking from the Tight Side O the cially rugged and inexpensive construction and maehille, of the operating DaTtS in the machine arrangement of parts in a sewing or other maincluding the work support, the needle, thread chine of the class referred to both in its sewing finger and the connections 'for operating them, mechanisms and in the support on which such taken with the parts in stopping positions; machine is mounted particularly where it is de- Fg- 16 iS a Similal VieW 0f the Same Darts, sirable to adjust the height of the machine g() taken While the machine iS Operating oh a Shoe readily to the requirements of the operator. having a relatively thin sole;

In accordance with these and other objects the Fig. 1'7 is a detail plan Vie7 of Jlle hatS about invention as herein disclosed consists of the fea- Jthe Sewing point ih the Same positions illustures to be described and illustrated in the actrate@ ih Fig. 15; companying drawings which indicate one man- Fig. 18 is a detail plan View of the same parts, ner of carrying out the invention and the several showing their manner of opel'aioh Upon a Shoe embodiments of the invention which exemplify during the formation of a stitch; the varied aspects thereof as particularly dened Fig. 19 iS a detail plan View of the same loaliS in the appended claims, with the position of the needle indicated after In the drawings, 40 the work is fed in each sewing cycle;

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine Fig- 20 iS a Sectional View ih Side elevation of embodying the invention; the parts illustrated in Fig. 16, taken while a Fig 2 is a, perspective View 0f the 130e portion StltCh is being formed lll l'elatVelY heaVy WOll; of a shoe sewed. on the machine illustrated in Fis-21s a front elevation Gf the Work support, Fig 1; 45 presser foot, lasting ringer, thread nger, and

Fig. 3 is a view in right side elevation of the needle, with the parts in the positions shown in machine of Fig. 1; Fia 20;

Fig. 4 is a View in iront elevation, on an en- Fig. 22 is a detail front View of the work suplarged scale, of the sewing head of the machine; port, thread nger and needle, illustrating the Fig. 5 is a cross section on a further enlarged 50 manner of clamping the shoe after work feed scale of the thread tension in the machine as has taken place; viewed along the line V-V of Fig. 4; Fig. 23 is a detail front View of the work sup- Fig. `6 is a vertical section of the sewing head port, needle and thread iinger of the machine, of the machine, substantially as viewed along the illustrating the manner of looping the thread line VI-VI ci Fig. 4; 55 about the needle;

Fig. 24 is a sectional detail view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, looking from the left, of the parts around the sewing point of the machine;

Fig. 25 is a detail view in front elevation of the principal connections in the stopping mechanism for the machine;

Fig. 26 is a view in right-side elevation of the stopping connections;

Figs. 27 and 28 are sectional views of portions of shoes sewed in the machine of the present invention and in a machine of the prior art, respectively;

Fig. 29 is a plan view of the work feeding connections on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 30 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line XXX-XXX of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 3l is a time chart, illustrating the relative movements of the operating parts of the machine.

The lasting of stitchdown shoes as ordinarily `practiced is a task requiring painstaking eiort and unusual skill even with the use of modern equipment and machinery. When aY lasting machine is employed, having sewing devices to secure together the parts of a shoe in lasted position, the sewing thread itself frequently is utilized to assist in the lasting operation, the stitches being formed successively and tensioned to draw the upper into close` fitting conformity about a last. The shoe ordinarily presented to the machine with the marginal portion of its upper, indicated at Ell, roughly in outturned position overlapping the edge of an unchanneled extension sole l2. To give the upper its form, a last lll is inserted previously between the upper and extension hole. Upon presenting the shoe to the machine, successive sections of the overlapping margins of the upper and sole are rigidly clamped to form a continuous flange, and a seam is inserted to secure the parts together. As the seam is inserted, the flange of the upper is drawn into an acute angle between the bulging side of the last and the extension of the sole. The seam is of the through-and-through type and is inserted as closely as possible to the bulging portion of the last without actually causing injury to the last supported portion of the upper. The through-and-through lengths of thread in the seam preferably are inclined outwardly within the substance from the bottom of the sole and curved in order to secure the upper against outward components of tension produced in the upper while stretching it over the last.

The machine illustrated as embodying the present invention is peculiarly adapted for the type of work referred to by the provision oi clamping members acting to secure the outturned upper and extension sole of a stitchdown shoe in lasted relation and stitch forming devices of a novel and improved design. The stitch forming devices are constructed and operated to insert a chain-stitch seam fulfilling the requirements of effective thread lasting. Instead of inserting a chain-stitch seam in the usual way, however, with the chain portion of the seam engaging the sole l2 and the single thread portion of the seam engaging the flange of the upper I8, as shown in Fig. 28, the illustrated seam is inserted in the manner indicated in Figs. 2 and 27 with the Chain portion of the seam engaging the flange of the upper and the single thread portion lying against the bottom surface of the sole.

By inserting a thread lasting seam in a stitchdown shoe comprising chain stitches with the chain engaging the upper according to the present invention, each loop of thread forming a stitchinay be tightened against the upper with a tensional force exerted lengthwise of the seam in a direction which facilitates drawing the upper into close-fitting conformity with the last over which it is stretched. Furthermore, the chain of a chain-stitch seam, being composed of doubled thread, exerts a contracting force on the upper twice that of the single thread portion. Also, the chain of the seam exerts a com pressional force against the upper over a wider area than the single thread portion, thus enabling the use of less expensive upper materials without subjecting such materials to the possibility of damage while drawing the upper within the angle between the last and the extension sole. With the single thread in the seam lying against the sole, a heavy tension may be applied to the stitch without cutting or otherwise injuring the sole by reason of its natural strength and rigidity as compared to the softer substance of the upper. Not only is a better securement of the upper obtained with such an arrangement of the seaim but the double thread portion or chain in the seam actually presses the upper laterally into closer conformity with the last than would be possible with the same tension on the thread where a single thread only engages the upper, the width of the double thread tending to force the upper laterally into the angle between the last and the extension sole more deeply than is possible when the single thread of a seam engages the upper.

Referring to Fig. 27, a portion of a shoe is illustrated having its chain-stitch seam I6 inserted in the preferred manner with the chain engaging the upper. The chain, being composed of interlocked loops of thread, covers a strip on the upper of twice the width of a single thread. After inserting each stitch a given distance along the sole i2 from the bottom edge, indicated at i8, of the last, lateral pressure is applied when each stitch is tightened against the upper 9 in the direction of the last, forcing the upper into the crevice between the last and extension sole through'a distance equal to the thickness of one of the threads. If the chain of the seam is laid against the bottom of the extension sole l2 according to prior practice with the single thread on the upper, as indicated in Fig. 28, lateral pressure applied to the upper by the single thread will be distributed along the upper over a strip the width of the single thread only and there will be less tendency to force the upper laterally toward the bottom edge I8 of the last and into the angle formed between the last and the sole. Thus, if the seam is spaced the same distance as in Fig. 27 from the edge i8 of the last with the single thread engaging the upper as in Fig. 28, there will be a triangular gap 2B the width of the thread between the surface of the last and the upper. Accordingly, in order to obtain the same results with the single thread engaging the upper, it will be necessary to insert the seam correspondingly more deeply within the angle between the last and the sole than when the chain of the seam engages the upper. If an attempt is made with the single upper engaging thread to offset this advantage by thus inserting the seam closer to the edge of the last there arises a danger of injuring the last supported surface of the upper during sewing by contact with the needle or with others of the stitch forming devices.

In some prior instances the advantages of utilizing the chain in a chain-stitch seam to secure the upper in place have been obtained by bending the edge or" the sole away from the last before the seam is inserted in order to avoid injury to the last supported surfaces of the upper during sewing. Such bending of the sole produces a seam guiding channel or rib so that the sewing operation is more in the nature of Goodyear inseaming. Thereafter, the bent sole must be straightened to bring the parts into proper relationship and to form an outturned flange in the upper. .Such operations add to the expense of shoe construction and require a higher quality of materials and workmanship for the shoe than needed in a stitchdown shoe.

Shoes constructed by the machine of the present invention may employ a relatively inexpensive, unchanneled sole composed of such frangible substances as fiberboard or synthetic plastics, a through-andthrough chain-stitch seam being inserted without the necessity of channeling or bending the sole to form a sewing rib or requiring any other special treatment or procedure. The use of the chain on the upper has not been found objectionable in other respects as when a nish welt is used to cover the seam inasmuch as the double thread of the chain is tightened directly against the outturned iiange of the upper and lies in flattened relation `within the angle between the outturned and bulging portions thereof. After tightening the seam in the usual way, therefore, the finish welt may be applied to protect and hide the lasting seam in the usual manner of stitchdown shoe construction.

In the machine illustrative of the present invention, each through-and-through chain-stitch of the seam i6 is inserted to connect the upper and sole of a stitchdown shoe alternately with a clamping operation. The seam is inserted with the through-and-through lengths of thread both inclined with respect to the bottom of the sole and curved outwardly within the substance of the sole from the bottom upwardly to maintain the upper securely against outward components of tension in the upper. To insert a seam with the through--and-through lengths of thread therein disposed in this manner, the machine to be described is equipped with a hook needle and other suitable cooperating stitch-forming devices.

The features of the invention exemplied in the illustrated machine include the clamping members, and the stitch-forming devices referred to, and also a supporting frame particularly useful for adjusting the height of the machine conveniently to the requirements of the operator and otherwise for providing a light, rigid construction of inexpensive form. The construction of the frame is such as to enable convenient factory assembly of the parts with a minimum use of heavy castings requiring complicated machining operations and with a maximum use of standard or readily obtainable pressed or rolled sheet metal forms.

The clamping members for securing together the outturned margin of the upper il] and the edge of the extension sole I2 while inserting the seam comprise a work support 22, a presser foot 2t, and a lasting linger 26, the latter two members of which are separately operable toward and from the work support. The work support 22 has its upper surface rounded with a sole engaging area projecting a substantial distance beyond the upper engaging area of the presser foot to insure presentation or the shoe with the sole at the proper angle to the horizontal. The upper surface of the work support is generally inclined to the path of the needle along that portion engag ing the work upwardly from the front of the machine toward the rear and is formed with an open-framed shank slidably mounted within a vertical guideway provided by two pairs of lugs 28 and Sil projecting outwardly from the frame of the machine and having secured at their outer ends cap plates 32 and 34, respectively. The lugs 28 and Sil engage the inner surfaces of side iiange portions of the work support slide. To secure the cap plates in place, they are perforated to receive screws 35 threaded into the lugs 28 and 36. The cap plates engage the outermost surfaces of the work support slide and retain its vertical alinement with the guideway formed thereby.

The presser foot 2li has an arcuate shape, best shown in Fig. 6, and oscillates toward and from the shoe in a xed path and is guided by a curved passageway formed within a cover member 35 secured to the front or the machine frame by a pair of clamp screws Sil. The upper end of the presser foot has a pair of transverse notches to receive correspondingly shaped teeth at the outer end of an arm of a lever :it fulcrumed loosely on a horizontal shaft l2 mounted within the frame of the machine.

To actuate the presser foot toward and from the work support in clamping a shoe during sewing operations a rearwardly extending arm of the lever iii is pivotally connected with the upper end of a link 44, the lower end of which is connected to one arm of a lever 46. The lever 46 swings loosely on a fulcrumed shaft t8 and has formed at its lowermost extremity a segment engaging teeth on the hub of a cam-actuated lever 50 rotatable on a shaft 52. The cam lever 5U has a follower 5t engaging a groove in the left side of a cam 5S keyed to a main sewing shaft 58 (see Figs. 7 and 10). The movements imparted to the presser foot by this mechanism are such that the shoe is held clamped in position during the work penetrating and retracting strokes of the needle. While the shoe is being fed the length of a stitch, the presser foot is raised to free the work from clamping engagement with the work support. During feeding movement of the shoe, the work support also is yieldingly pressed into engagement with the bottom surface of the shoe so that the parts of the Shoe are urged together during the relative feeding movement between the shoe and the clamping members.

The connections for pressing the work support yieldingly against the bottom surface of the shoe include a forwardly directed slotted arm of a lever 59 mounted for rotary movement on the shaft ll8. The slotted arm of the lever 5d einbraces a pin 5B mounted between the side flanges of the work support slide. rihe rearwardly eX- tending arm of the lever 555 carries a pin 52 to which is connected one end of a coil spring Glistretched between the pin and a pin lit at the inside of the machine frame. The spring 6d acts through the lever 59 to raise the Work support at the desired times during each sewing cycle or to yield when the work support is depressed by irregularities in the thickness of the work. To secure the shoe in rmly clamped position at other times during each sewing cycle, the work support is locked against movement within its guideway.

The work support lock consists of a rectangular bar 58 having a C-shaped enlargement l@ at its upper end, the opening in which surrounds the pin 62 which in turn projects from the lever The bar 68 is slidingly mounted within a lock box 'l2 formed in part by an inwardly projecting portion of the machine frame and in part by spacing blocks 74, 'i6 and a cover plate 'I8 clamped together by screws 8i] (see Fig. 9). The spacing block 16 is recessed along its inner surface to receive a series of rolls 82, alternate ones of which engage the rectangular bar B8. The rolls 82 are forced with a locking pressure against the bar 68 yieldingly through engagement of the lowermost roll with a curved finger on a cam lever 84 rotatable about a stud 86 passing through the cover plate 18 and into the inwardly projecting portion of the frame. A downwardly extending arm of the lever 84 is perforated to receive one end of a tension spring 88, the other end of which is hooked within a perforation at the lower end of the spacing block 14, To unlock the work support against the action of the spring 88, a forwardly extending arm of the cam lever 84 carries a roll 99 engaging the periphery of a cam 9| on the sewing shaft at the right of the cam 58. The cam 9| has two undercut portions 92 cooperating with the roll 90 (see Figs. 6, 'l and 10). Between the undercut portions of the cam 9| the roll 90 is raised to unlock the work support, once while the shoe is being fed and once while the cam shaft rotates past a position where the machine is normally brought to rest at the end of a seam. The latter unlocking position of the cam 9| does not interfere with the proper sewing operations of the machine and provides a convenient manner of unlocking the work support for release of a shoe after sewing or for the introduction of a new shoe in starting a new seam.

The lasting finger 2S acts alternately with the presser foot to clamp the shoe against the work support, and remains in engagement with the shoe during work feed, moving with the shoe in the direction of feed. During work feed, the presser foot is disengaged from the shoe and the work support is unlocked so as to engage the shoe with a yielding pressure only (Fig. 31), the lasting finger holding the shoe down against the yielding pressure of the work support.

The mechanism for actuating the lasting finger 26 includes a hook-shaped lever forming the lasting finger and having an integral stud 94 projecting horizontally from its left side as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 29. The stud 94 rotates in a sleeve bearing portion of a feed lever 96 arranged for movement back and forth in the direction of work feed. To actuate the lasting finger toward and from the shoe, a rearwardly extending arm of the lasting finger lever is provided with a stud 98 having a spherical head surrounded by a socket in a link |90, the lower end of which has a similar socket surrounding the head of a stud |02 secured to the outer end of a cam lever |04 fulcrumed on a horizontal shaft |96. The lasting finger cam lever |04 has a roll |98 engaging a suitably shaped slot in the left side of the cam 9|.

rthe stitch forming devices of the machine are of relatively simple construction and are particularly effective for the operations intended to be performed. These devices include a workfeeding curved hook needle HD, a stationary looper or guide M2, a thread finger ||4, and a take-up I I6. The thread is drawn from a supply by the stitch-forming devices through a wax pot ||8 secured to a bracket 9 at the lower front side of the sewing head of the machine past a frictional tension wheel directly above the wax pot, over a pulley |22 rotatable on a fixed bracket and downwardly about a pulley |24 carried by the take-up IIS. From the take-up pulley |24, the thread is drawn directly through the looper to the thread finger.

The needle ||D is clamped within a segment |26, the hub of which is rotatable on the sleeve portion of the feed lever 96, the parts being retained in proper relationship by a nut |28 threaded on the left end of the stud 94. The mechanism for actuating the needle to penetrate and withdraw from the work includes a link |30 universally connecting the segment I 26 to one end of a floating lever |32, the other end of which is forked and has a bearing on a sleeve |34 (see Figs. 20 and 2l) clamped between rearwardly extending lugs on the shank of the work support 22 by a bolt |36 passing through the perforations in the lugs and the sleeve |34. Between the ends of the floating lever |32 is an actuating link |38 pivotally connected to the floating lever and to the forward end of a cam lever |40 rotatable on the fulcrum shaft 48. The rear-ward end of the lever |49 has a cam roll |42 engaging a slot in the right side of the cam 5S. By these connections, the needle is actuated to penetrate the shoe, to receive a loop of thread from the looper and thread linger and to retract with the thread from the shoe a uniform distance measured from the work-engaging surface of the work support regardless of the position of the work support or the thickness of the work. This result is obtained by the manner of connecting the floating lever |32 to the work supp ort.

The needle actuating connections are such that, when the work support is raised, as with shoes having relatively thin soles (Figs. 15 and 16), the needle is actuated to a higher position than when the work support is lowered as with shoes having thick soles (Figs. 20 and 24). By so doing, the amount of thread required by the needle in completing its stroke is always the same and the needle always moves into a fixed relationship with the work support during its work penetrating stroke, enabling the use of a looper and thread finger mounted upon the work support.

The looper comprises a stationary thread guide i |2 formed by a perforated pin fixed to the work support within its open frame portion. The sewing thread, indicated at |44, passes from the take-up through the perforation in the guide ||2 to the thread nger. The perforation in the looper is so located that as the needle penetrates the shoe, the hooked end of the needle passes downwardly on the right side of the thread stretched between the looper and thread finger to a position with its hook always below the level of the thread. During feeding Inovement of the shoe, the needle moves to the left, engaging the thread stretched between the looper and the thread nger, as illustrated in Figs. 19 and 23, in such manner that, during the retracting stroke of the needle, the thread slides within the needle hook. During the continued retracting movement of the needle the threaded hook enters the work and the thread finger is actuated to give up thread to the needle.

To actuate the thread finger |4, it is pivotally mounted on the sleeve |34 (Figs. 2O and 21) secured within the work support between the separated hub portions of the iioating needle actuating lever 32, best shown in Fig. l0. The thread finger has a segmental portion formed with an arcuate tongue and groove connection with a similar portion on an arm |45. The two segmental portions of the thread finger and arm |46 are clamped together by a screw |48 passing through a slot in the arm |46 and into threaded engagement with the thread finger. The lower end of the arm M is connected by a link |56 to the upper arm of the cam lever 50 which actuates the presser root. Thus, a single mechanism is provided to actuate .both the presser foot and thread finger, the presser foot being raised. when the thread nger draws the thread rearwardly away from the looper to enable it to be laid in the needle hook. rlhe arrange-ment of the lever 5t and the arm M56 brings their points oi pivotal connection with the link i5@ into approximate horizontal alinement. As the work support carrying the fulcrum sleeve for the thread ringer moves up and down during sewing operations, this up and down movement causes substantially no movement to be imparted to the thread finger relatively to the Work support.

rihe mechanism for actuating the take-up |55 comprises an arm forming the take-up rotatable on the shaft 52 and having a toothed segment i52 on its hub meshing with a similar segment |56 on a cam lever 53. The lever 55 carries a cam roll 58 entering a slot in the right side of the cam El.

To impart feeding movements to the lasting finger 26 and the needle H0, the feed lever 9B is mounted to swing on a vertical pin |69 secured at its lower end in a transverse portion of the machine frame and provided with an enlarged head at its upper end fitting an opening in the upper portion of the machine frame. The rearwardly curved arm of the lever 96 has clamped to its end a pivot |52 entering loosely at its upper and lower ends within openings in spaced portions of a link led, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to a bolt 66 clamped within an arcuate slot of a cam lever |68 (see Fig. 29). The cam lever |63 is mounted to swing on a vertical fulcrum pin |10 i"ixedly mounted between lugs on the machine frame and carries a cam roll which enters a slot in the peripheral face of the cam 55. The movements of the needle and thread finger imparted by the feeding connections are adjustable by loosening the bolt 66 and shifting its position within the slot of the lever |63, which slot is concentric with the pivot |652 on the rearward arm of the feed lever @t while the lever is in its fully back-fed position. Thus, any adjustment of the length of feed does not aiiect the position of the needle before looping but merely changes its eXtreme forward feeding position. During the time the needle engages the work, the presser foot is actuated to release its clamping pressure on the work so that the work may be fed easily. When the needle is actuated to penetrate and retract from the work, however, the work support is locked.

During the back feeding movement of the needle, the lasting finger 26 moves along in engagement with the upper within the angle formed by the ange on the upper and the last-supported surface of the upper to guide and press the upper within the angle progressively with a preliminary pressure, the parts of the shoe being clamped together by the presser foot and work support at this time and the upward force of the work support providing pressure on the lasting linger. Thereafter the insertion and setting of successive stitches tightens the upper with a lasting tension and fastens it securely within the angle formed by the side of the last and sole l2.

The machine is equipped with a high-speed Cil `driving and a low-speed reverse stopping mechanism of compact and relatively -simple design arranged conveniently for bringing the machine to rest with the stitch-forming devices in a predetermined relationship free of the work and with the shoe-clamping members released from the shoe so that a new shoe may readily be substituted for a sewn one. The driving and stopping mechanism has high and low-speed driving clutches, the low-speed driving clutch acting, rst, as a brake after the high-speed clutch has been disengaged and, finally, after reversing the rotation, bringing the machine to rest in the desired predetermined position. The driving and stopping mechanism is generally similar to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,099,326, granted June 9, 1914, upon an application filed in the name of Laurence E. Topham.

The high speed driving mechanism comprises a helical gear lli secured to the main sewing shaft 58 between the cams 56 and 9|, which gear meshes with a similar gear |72 secured to a driving shaft H3 mounted in a horizontal position with friction reducing bearings in the machine frame beneath the sewing shaft 58. Rotatable on the reduced outer portion of the driving shaft |73 is a double pulley clutch member |14 having a cone-shaped recess at one end cooperating with a driven clutch member il@ (see Fig. 11). To engage and disengage the driven clutch member |76 with the driving pulley |14, the hub of the clutch member carries a clutch collar |18 having diametrically alined pins |80 projecting from its periphery engaged by a yoke |82 surrounding the collar and clamped to a shaft |84 rotatably mounted in a xed bracket |8l. To the left end of the shaft i815 is clamped a cam arm |38 cooperating with a roll i9@ on a control lever |92,

.. best shown in Figs. 25 and 26. A downwardly eX- tending arm of the lever |92 is formed with a projection entering a notch in an arm of a treadleactuated bell-crank lever |94 having a pivot |9i formed integrally with the lever and rotatable in a bearing in the base of the machine. The arrangement is such that the head of the machine may readily be removed from the base and the treadle-actuated lever |94 will separate from the control lever llZ without dismantling any of the connections. The treadle lever has a horizontal arm connected to the upper` end of a downwardly extending rod |98 secured at its lower end to a clamp Zeil (see Figs. l2 and 14) surrounding the rod 98 and a similar rod 202 connected at its lower end to a treadle 264|. The treadle 204 projects from the front of the machine base and is pivotally mounted on a shaft 26 at the rear of the base. By these connections, the machine may be driven and the speed controlled in the usual way by increasing or decreasing the pressure exerted on the treadle 2M. Upon release of the treadle, the treadle rods are raised by a spring 208 and the control lever |92 is rocked in a direction to throw out of operation the high-speed clutch and set in operation the low-speed stopping mechanism.

The control lever |92 is secured to a horizontal rockshaft ZIB rotatable in a bearing passing through the side wall of the machine frame, and the hub of the lever has a cam-shaped enlargement arranged to engage a roll 2|2 during normal sewing operations. The roll 2l2 is rotatably supported on a locking pin releasing lever Zhi the forked end of which surrounds a locking pin 2|6 and engages a check nut 2|8 at the lower end of the pin to retract the pin from engagement with a vibrating lever 220 (Figs. 7 to 10). The locking pin is slidably mounted in a yieldingly mounted carrier 222 and is urged upwardly toward engagement with the vibrating lever by a spring 224 coiled about a reduced portion of the locking pin within a recess in the carrier 222 (see Fig. 26). As soon as the treadle-actuated connections are raised by the spring 208, the locking pin is allowed to rise and engage the vibrating lever to restrain its movements and to cause a roll 225 on an arm of the lever to actuate a low-speed driven clutch member 226 (see Fig. '7) on the sewing shaft against the force of a low-speed clutch-opening spring 228 tending to separate the clutch member from its driver 238. Forcing the two low-speed clutch members together reduces the speed of the sewing shaft 58 and drives the sewing shaft through a predetermined angular distance until a cam slot 232 on the driven clutch member which is engaged by the roll 225 reaches a predetermined position. Being driven at a relatively low speed, the shaft 58 together with its cams loses most of its momentum and. as soon as the cam slot 232 causes the low-speed clutch members again to separate, the shaft immediately comes to rest. To prevent overthrow of the `sewing shaft past the desired stopping position, the rockshaft 2|U has rotatable on it inside the machine a hooked arm 234, the hooked end of which engages a shoulder 236 (Fig. 11) on the cam 56 in stopped position of the sewing shaft. To move the hooked arm away from the cam during sewing operations, the rockshaft 2|0 has clamped to it an oil pump actuating lever 238 provided with an arm engaging the under side of the hooked arm 234, pressing it away from the cam |44 when the high-speed clutch is engaged. To move the hooked arm against the cam |44 as the machine is brought to rest, the rearward Side of the arm is engaged by a coil spring 240 compressed between the arm and the inner surface of the machine frame.

For driving the double pulley member |14, the larger pulley thereof is surrounded by a belt 242` best shown in Fig. 3, engaging a pulley 244 of a motor 246 carried by the lower part of the machine frame. The double pulley member |14 is rotated continuously and a second belt 248 surrounding the smaller pulley of said member engages a pulley 250 on a low-speed driving shaft 252, best shown in Fig. '1. The low-speed driving shaft is rotatable in bearings arranged at right angles to the sewing shaft 58 and carries a Worm gear 254 meshing with helical teeth formed around the periphery of the low-speed drivel 230.

To assist in removing or applying a shoe to the machine, convenient means is provided for lowering the work support 22 from engagement with the shoe. The lower end of the work support slide has pivotally connected to it a link 256 also pivotally connected to a spring-pressed knee lever 258 mounted on a hinge pin 260 secured to the upper portion of the wax pot bracket H9. The knee lever 258 is disposed in such position that the operator may employ the same leg to operate both the foot treadle and the knee lever.

The tension wheel, as best illustrated in Fig. 5.

comprises a rotatable toothed disk 262 about the circumference of which the thread is wrapped. The disk is rotatable on a flange sleeve 264 and is engaged at either side by a friction washer 266. The flange sleeve 264 is slidable within an opening in a bushing 268 within the central passage of which is mounted a coil spring 210 acting to compress a ange on the bushing 268 against the friction washers 266 engaging the tension wheel. To provide convenient hand adjustment for the force of the spring 210, the inner end of the spring engages a nut 212 threadedly receiving an adjusting screw 214 having a knurled head acting against the flanged sleeve 264. To prevent rotation of the nut 212 with the adjusting screw 214, a radial pin 216 is inserted in one side of the nut to slide with the movement of the nut in a slot in the bushing 268, the bushing 268 being clamped Within an opening in the machine frame by a setscrew 218. By loosening the setscrew 218 the tension wheel may be removed or replaced conveniently.

To release the tension wheel from the force of the spring on the friction washers 266 at the end of a seam so that the thread may be drawn readily past the tension wheel, the bushing 268 carries a transverse pin 286 supporting a forked lever 282 having an angular portion engaging the inner end of the adjusting screw 214 and its forked portion surrounding a tension releasing rod 284 having check nuts 286, best shown in Fig. 6, for operating the lever. The rod 284 extends across the inner end of the bushing and passes loosely through an opening in the machine frame and is pivotally connected to the oil pump actuating lever 238. When the machine is brought to rest, the lever 238 is moved rearwardly, causing,r the tension to be released and, when the machine is started, forward movement of the lever causes the tension to be reapplied. The arrangement of the forked lever and the tension releasing rod enables the bushing carrying the lever, the tension wheel and friction washers to be removed from the frame as a unit, the forked portion of th?l lever readily separating from the releasing ro The operation of the work-clamping and stitch-forming devices during sewing operations will be readily apparent from the time chart of Fig. 3l. The needle, being the instrument employed for feeding the work, acts between the presser foot and. the lasting nger so that it engages the upper of a shoe within the angle bctween the bulging and the outturned portions thereof which are secured in position by the clamping action of the work support and lasting finger. In penetrating the upper it forces the upper into the angle of the last and sole. During each feeding movement of the needle, the lasting finger moves with it so that no displace ment of the upper from proper lasted position is possible at this time. The work support is unlocked during the feeding movement of the shoe. and the presser foot is raised from engagement with the upper, the lasting nger only serving to l hold the upper in place within the angle of the last and sole. By utilizing the feeding movement of the needle to assist in laying the thread in the needle hook, no time is lost while the needle engages the work for the looping operation, the

,- needle being retracted from the work immediately at the end of the feeding movement.

Referring to Figs. l, 3, l2, 13 and 14, the sewing head frame of the machine is indicated at 28B and is supported on a rigid cast metal floor mounting base 290 within which the treadle 264 is fulcrumed and from which it projects toward the front of the machine.

The structure for supporting the sewing head frame 288 on the base 29D is particularly advantageous for the purpose intended and presents 

